Hope Regenerated
by David Hogan
Summary: The Eighth Doctor finds himself ejected from the time lock and crashes on an unknown planet. This is his last story, but after all he's been through, regeneration isn't an option. This is the end of his life, though one should never give up hope...
1. Chapter 1

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART ONE by David Hogan**

A crack in space itself. The TARDIS was ejected in a ball of flames, spinning until it was just smoking, its blue paint all but turned black. Soon it was pulled into the gravity of a nearby planet and descended into the atmosphere. Inside The Doctor was sitting next to the TARDIS console, his once glorious library now a nothing but a pile of broken wood and charred books. Explosions were happening all around him, but he just sat, staring blankly. A broken man who had just caused the genocide of his greatest enemies, and his own people. His clothes were ripped and torn, his once long curled hair was now short and unkept, and his face was unshaven and full of small cuts and dirt.

The Doctor closed his eyes, slowly, and passed out as the TARDIS thrashed about in the atmosphere of the planet. Suddenly the explosions stopped, the TARDIS crashed into the surface of a planet full of lush green forest. Some time passed, possibly days, before The Doctor woke up and slowly got to his feet, holding his chest. 'Where are we?' he thought to himself, 'Impossible!'.

The Doctor frantically pressed buttons and pulled levers on the console, until the console suddenly shut down. The Doctor once again looked sombre, 'Ah, you did well to last this long old girl.' The Doctor stroked the console as if he was brushing back the hair of a sleeping child. The Doctor looked around and slowly walked towards the door, 'Could it really be possible?' he thought to himself, 'Are we outside the Time Lock?'

The Doctor pushed the door open and outside he saw trees, plants and grass, and heard nothing but birds singing their song. With a great sigh the Doctor sat down on the grass, 'Why just me?' he thought, 'How did I get out?' Just then The Doctor grabbed his chest in pain, 'It seems like it's a moot point… No Gallifrey, no Eye of Harmony, no TARDIS, no Regeneration.'

After lying down briefly The Doctor got up to his feet and once again thought to himself 'I've got a while left yet. Might as well go for a stroll' The Doctor staggered forward until he eventually regained his balance. Walking through the forest, the last Time Lord was simply reliving the war, and thinking about all the people he lost, friends, companions, family. Suddenly the sound of a child screaming snapped him out of his daze, a sound he had heard before, but even given the situation, he could never ignore it. In a clearing The Doctor was relieved to see that it was simply two children playing, one frightening the other with a local bug.

The Doctor, despite everything, can't help but smile. 'Life goes on…' he thought, 'and if the war continued, it wouldn't have. This was a nice image to see in my final hours…'

The Doctor walked slowly toward a small town, a sign with the name of the town is hung above the entrance, but he couldn't read the alien language, a sure sign that his faithful machine had breathed its last. The town was small, but with plenty of wooden buildings littered around. Sounds of people chattering filled the air as the Doctor turned a corner in the town and saw a large open market. He enjoyed his slow walk down the street, looking at all the stalls. He saw someone selling fruit not unlike an apple and picked one up.

'How much for this?' he asked slowly and deliberately, expecting the lady not to understand him.

'Twenty pounds.'

'Oh, you can understand me?'

'What's that's supposed to mean? Do I look deaf?'

'Ah, no, but… look fine, I…'

The Doctor realised he was no longer wearing his jacket, and there was nothing in his trouser pockets either.

'Never mind, sorry to waste your…'

Just then a woman stepped up behind him and gave the lady some money.

'Thank you very much,' the Doctor said, taking a bite into the fruit. The woman and the Doctor turned around and started to walk, 'No need to thank me.' She said, ' You're new here, aren't you?'

'Yes, I… er, I'm afraid my transport crashed in the woods and I don't know where I am, could you tell me?'

'Yes, it's not like you'd come sight-seeing.' She said with a grin, 'This is Tria, now I must insist you come with me to the local Doctor .That must have been one bad crash.'

'Yes… Well, I don't think I need a doctor, in fact I am a doctor.' The Doctor stopped and reached out his hand, 'Actually we haven't introduced ourselves, they call me The Doctor.'

'You don't have to lay it on that thick, if you really don't want to go I won't force you.' She shook his hand, 'I'm Rebecca.'

'Nice to meet you. Now, what planet is this?' The Doctor asked while looking up into the sky, 'I don't recognise anything…' he looked down at a confused Rebecca.

'Ah…' the Doctor quickly said, 'I… have memory problems… Yes, more times than I'd like to mention actually. Don't worry, once you say it'll all come back.' The Doctor laughed nervously.

'Are you sure you don't want to go to the clinic… Doctor?'

'Yes, quite sure.'

'Well, this is Forhasta.'

'Of course! Forhasta, where human colonists settled in 2840. That's why you speak English, though by the sound of it the original colonists were of Swedish decent...'

'_We_ speak English? So what language are you speaking then?'

'Look, sorry, I wasn't entirely honest with you. I had to check what time period this was before I told you the truth. My transport that crashed, it was a spaceship.'

Suddenly all the surrounding chatter stopped and was replaced with gasps and then silence. The Doctor looked around nervously, and then looked at Rebecca, who was now wide-eyed and stepping back from him.

'You're an off-worlder?'

The Doctor looked rightfully confused by her question, "Yes, is that a problem? I mean this has to be quite a while after this place was colonised, surely you get visitors from time to time?'

Suddenly some of the town's citizens started picking up pieces of wood and other objects, then slowly started walking up towards the Doctor. He just sighed to himself, 'Just this one last time, one last adventure on a new world, and it has to be one where I have to run for my life.' The Doctor looked around him, 'Fine.'

The Doctor ran past Rebecca and started to weave between stalls and people, then into an alley way. As he continued to run past similar wooden structures, he grabbed his chest. Barely able to stand he walked into a large stack of wood and collapsed.


	2. Chapter 2

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART TWO by David Hogan**

Fire. Burning. Space filled with countless ships from countless worlds all disappearing one after the other. 'What have I done?'

With those words echoing at the end of a his nightmare, The Doctor woke up and realised he's in a small room in a cabin. Sitting up he clutched his chest again, more from remembering the pain than being in it. He looked around only to see Rebecca looking at her feet in shame.

'Ah, Rebecca, was it you who saved me?' The Doctor asked, innocently.

'Well, I got the doc to bring you in… you were too heavy for me to lift…'

'Ah,' the Doctor replied, 'so this is the doctor's place, is it?'

'I assume you mean our doctor, or are you speaking in third person?'

'No need to get sarcastic…'

'Sorry.'

'So, Rebecca, can you tell me why the townsfolk were so against me when I told them I was from another world?'

Before she could answer an older gentleman walked in wearing a traditional doctors ensemble of a white jacket and a stethoscope around his neck.

'I think I'd better field that one, Rebecca.' He said.

Rebecca introduced him as Dr. Keeder.

'Ah Dr. Keeder, how can I thank you?' wondered The Doctor

'By leaving. Quickly.' He replied

'And so we're back to the question you were about to answer for me…'

'Very well. A couple of months ago, a large ship arrived in our capital. In reality this wasn't that uncommon, though one this size and shape was new to us.' Dr. Keeder sat down and sighed before continuing.

'They attacked us. More to the point, they slaughtered us. Only four humanoid figures were transported to the ground, and yet all they did was point their hands at things and they just… crumbled away…'

The Doctor looks surprised, 'These humanoid figures… could you describe them?'

'Yes,' Keeder replied, 'they were tall… purple skin, pointed heads… their eyes were pure black, soulless…'

The Doctor shakes his head before burying it in his hands. 'Oh no…' he said to himself, 'The Null…'

'You know them?' Keeder remarks with surprise, 'Tell me what you know!'

'I can only tell you what I've heard.' The Doctor replied, 'I come from a planet called Gallifrey, and long ago my people fought a war against them. Yes, war seems to follow us around… The Null, they were called.'

'Null?' Rebecca wondered, 'So, what, they don't exist?'

'Null means zero, or empty' The Doctor answered, 'and these creatures were said to be empty shells. No personality, no drive, no compassion, no instinct, no nothing. They were a race of people that at some point had their very existence erased, leaving just their bodies.'

'Then how…?' Dr. Keeder interrupted.

'How are they walking around destroying things?' The Doctor said, guessing Keeder's next words, 'Someone, at some point, managed to program them. Used their powerful minds and nearly invincible bodies to create an army. My people, the Time Lords, managed to find and stop the man controlling them, and then locked away the Null deep in the vaults of a dead, forgotten planet and kept it locked out of time.'

'Now, what, someone found it? I don't understand…' Keeder admits.

'My planet… my people… are gone. With that the time seal was broken and the Null returned to regular time on the planet. I guess someone found them. I'm just now beginning to see that the Time War may well be over, but the effect it had on the universe will last quite a bit longer…'

Suddenly The Doctor grabbed his chest again, causing Dr. Keeder to try and help, but he's stopped by a hand gesture.

'It's okay,' The Doctor said, trying to catch his breath, 'There isn't anything you can do…'

'I understand I may not be able to save your life, but at least let me give you something for the pain.' Keeder replied.

'No, you don't know my physiology, a single tablet of aspirin could kill me, let alone what you have around here.'

The Doctor slowly got to his feet.

'Right, now I think I have enough time to do one last favour for the universe…'

'Do you mean?' Rebecca said, full of hope.

'Yes,' The Doctor replied, 'I'm going to stop the Null and whoever is controlling them. It's technically my fault they're free anyway.'

The Doctor put his arm around Dr. Keeder.

'Now, you said they attack and destroyed the Capital, what's the situation like now? Why haven't they attack here?'

'They're looking for something, and so they're going from city to city. That's why we've had to live out here in the woods…'

'Hang on…' The Doctor interrupted, 'They've been destroying cities, so you humans decide to live in the woods instead? Build houses, set up markets, and get on with your lives?'

'Well... yes. We can't beat them, we've tried our weapons, useless, we trying flying away in a ship, destroyed. So…'

The Doctor smiled as he put his other arm around Rebecca.

'That is why I love the human race. The cities around you are being destroyed, so let's go into the woods and sell apples. Brilliant!'

The Doctor let go of the two confused, yet somewhat proud, humans and started looking around the office. Dr. Keeder walked up behind him.

'If you're looking for something, things would go quicker if you told me. It saves opening every draw and so on…'

'Yes,' The Doctor replied, 'good point. Maps! I need to know where they've been and where they are. That way I can find out where they're going.'

'But' Rebecca said worryingly, 'What are you going to do?'

'Well, I was thinking of going up to them and asking them politely to leave, but that doesn't normally work. So I was going to go with the whole sneaking onboard the ship and having a poke around plan. It's worked a few times in the past'

A look of surprised filled the faces of Rebecca and Dr. Keeder.

'You can't be serious!' Keeder shouted, 'In your condition…'

'In my condition I can't get any worse. At least, not for a few hours yet. I don't need a lecture about not risking my life. Not this time.'

Dr. Keeder gave in and gets an atlas out from a draw, it reads "Forhasta Atlas 3174". Keeder showed The Doctor where they've attacked, and where they are now.

'Right them, so it's off to Oro then!' The Doctor started to walk out of the room, but then stopped and turned around, "I don't suppose any of you have a car or something I could borrow?'

'I do!' Rebecca shouted, "I can take you on my motorbike!'

'No!' Dr. Keeder said, "It's too dangerous!'

'I'll just drop him off near the edge of Oro, then turn back. I promise!' replied Rebecca. The Doctor couldn't help but notice she had her fingers crossed behind her back.

'It's okay Dr. Keeder.' The Doctor said, 'I have a decent track record of looking after young women in dangerous situations. I'll promise I'll send he back before we get too close.'

Dr. Keeder sighed, then nodded. Both The Doctor and Rebecca leave the room. 'Decent?' Dr. Keeder said to himself, thinking back on the conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART THREE by David Hogan**

'Ah, an anti-grav. bike' The Doctor proclaimed as Rebecca pulls what looked like a motorbike with no wheels from a nearby alleyway. 'I haven't been on one of those in many years.'

Rebecca puts on a helmet and looks at The Doctor, 'Well, I don't care what you say,' she said, 'I'm driving!'

'I wouldn't have it any other way.' The Doctor replied.

At that moment an angry mob of townsfolk arrived, one shouts, 'There he is!'

'On the other hand…' The Doctor said as he jumped on the bike and pulled Rebecca onto the seat behind him.

'Doctor, no! Hey!' Rebecca screamed as she suddenly realised what's going on. 'Fine, I hope you know what you're doing!'

'Just hold on tight, I might be a bit rusty!' with that The Doctor drove the bike backwards back into the alley way and out onto the next street.

'I meant to do that.' He said, 'we're now further away from the vicious mob…' he looked down at the controls and turned the handle in the opposite direction, causing them to fly off down the street and soon into the forest.

With trees and bushes rushing past them the Doctor eventually stopped and let out a sigh of relief.

'Why have we stopped?' Rebecca asked.

'Well, I ran out in a hurry and I don't know if we went the right way.'

'Oh, right.' She responded, 'Well you got lucky then, this is northeast, if we continue heading forward…' Rebecca stopped as she noticed The Doctor looking around with a sorrowful look on his face.

'What's wrong?' she wondered.

'Nothing…'The Doctor replied, 'I just realised how much I'm going to miss this.'

'What, being chased by angry mobs who want to tare you limb from limb?' she wondered, 'It's something I could do without…'

'No, I mean life.' The Doctor replied, 'I've lived for so long and risked my life so much but I never gave up wanting to live on. After the recent war I felt like I should have died with my people… Is it selfish to want to live on? Is it right for me to want to visit more worlds, help out more people? Is it okay that… I'm afraid of death?'

Rebecca, unsure how to respond this sudden outpour of emotion, hugged The Doctor, and said, 'It's natural. No-one wants to die. Come on, let's get going. Wind in your hair and you won't have time to think.'

The Doctor responded with a warm smile, 'Yes.' He said, 'I made a promise after all. Though I think this time you should drive.'

Rebecca gladly jumped on in front, and then noticed that The Doctor is in a great deal of pain. Suddenly she saw the real reason why he stopped the bike and let her drive. He's was in no condition to do so. It was an empty victory as she started the bike up and headed out to Oro.

The forest was starting to grow less and less thick as the sky turned orange. The Doctor had been sleeping on the back of the bike for sometime now, Rebecca only feeling he's safe as she heard The Doctor mutter things. They reached the edge of a large city, and she stopped.

'We're here, Doctor.' She said softly, 'You can wake up now.'

The Doctor slowly came to and tried to shake himself awake, 'How odd. Did I fall asleep?'

'Yes!' she said, with a smile on her face.

'On the back of an anti-grav. bike?'

'Correct.' she once again replied lovingly.

'Isn't that… rather dangerous?'

Rebecca was about to answer that question as well, but The Doctor cut her off.

'So this is Oro?' he said, changing the conversation.

'Yeah. It's been a while since I was in a city. Feels… nice, like coming back to an old childhood home.'

'Right!' The Doctor shouted, 'It's time we parted ways then!'

Rebecca stared blankly.

'Come on, it's what we agreed!' he continued.

Rebecca crossed her arms.

'Look, I really don't want another innocent death on my conscious right now.'

'You're barely able to stay awake. You're in a lot of pain and look! Look!' she said, pointing at The Doctor's hands, which were shaking.

'There's no way you can do this by yourself.' She continued, 'I'm going with you. End of story.'

'Sorry, I appreciate everything, but I don't want you getting hurt because you feel sorry for me…' The Doctor said, which caused Rebecca to get angry.

'What are you on about?' she shouted, 'Are you forgetting those aliens destroyed a large portion of my people, my parents!'

The Doctor looked shocked.

'I'm staying with Dr. Keeder because he's an old family friend…' she continued, 'and because… I don't have anyone else.'

'I'm sorry, Rebecca.' The Doctor replied, 'I forgot the gravity of the situation and was more concerned about myself and… sorry.'

Rebecca nodded with a look of anger still on her face.

'So you should be.' She said, 'Now, I take it that means you'll let me stay?'

The Doctor sighed, 'Yes.' Rebecca looked happy again, 'But' The Doctor continued 'the slightest sign of trouble, you run, okay?' Rebecca reluctantly nodded.

'This isn't one of those situations where if we're caught we'll be thrown in a dungeon or prison for a while.' The Doctor said with a worried look on his face, 'From what Keeder said the Null as set to kill on sight. Okay?'

Rebecca nodded again and the two walked into the city, slowly. Oro was full on tall skyscrapers with long winding roads in between. The Doctor stops and thinks for a second.

'Now the ship they came in… it was said to be large, correct?'

Rebecca responded with a simple 'Yep!'.

'So, when they arrive they'll want to land somewhere with as little buildings in the way as possible.'

'The park.' Rebecca interrupted.

'Yes, you said there was a large one here, right?' The Doctor thinks for a moment, 'In fact this whole place has a New York feel to it. Must have been some American colonists who settled on this part of the planet… Though the name is still Swedish… Er, anyway, nice work!'

'Not really.' Rebecca said, 'I saw the ship overhead while you were sleeping, and since I didn't hear any buildings falling it seemed like the only place to land.'

The Doctor looked horrified, 'They're already here?' he shouted, 'Why didn't you tell me straight away?'

Rebecca was taken back a bit by The Doctor's tone, 'Sorry,' she said, 'I didn't think the plan was to wait for them to show up, so I thought we were working under the idea that they were already here.'

Suddenly some footsteps were heard approaching and The Doctor pulls Rebecca up against a wall and peered over the corner, he saw two Nulls walking, their heads revolving around 360 degrees, as if they were radar dishes scanning for information. Suddenly one stopped in the direction of The Doctor and its mouth opens slowly, their cold black eyes opened wider.

'Ah…' The Doctor said, 'when I say run… oh never mind, no time, RUN!'

The Doctor and Rebecca started running down the street, but the Null soon ran past them with their taller, more athletic legs, and stood in front of them. Rebecca hugged The Doctor tight and closed her eyes as one of the Null opened their hand, ready to fire…


	4. Chapter 4

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART FOUR by David Hogan**

A few seconds pass. Both The Doctor and Rebecca were still gripped to each other in fear, but nothing had happened. Suddenly the Null put his hand down and stood firm, then walked slowly towards the Time Lord and his companion.

'What are you doing?' The Doctor asked, 'Look, do what ever you want with me, just leave the girl out of this!'

The Null were emotionless as one grabbed Rebecca and put her on its shoulder. Rebecca started screaming, The Doctor moved to help but was grabbed by the second one and put on its shoulder. The Doctor, more surprised at what's happening than afraid, offered little resistance, knowing he wouldn't be able to overpower the tall powerful alien. The Null started walking side by side with their prizes and so The Doctor and Rebecca looked at each other.

'What's going on, Doctor?' Rebecca asked with a whisper, as if to not alert the aliens that are carrying them.

'You know, I have no idea….' The Doctor replied, 'By all accounts they should have killed us on sight. It's very fascinating…'

'Only you could find being carried on the shoulder of a large alien killing machine fascinating!' she barked back.

'What do you mean "only me", we've only known each other for less than a day.'

'Yeah well, it feels like a lifetime.'

'Charming.' The Doctor replied, as if genuinely insulted, 'Have you ever been horse riding? This isn't very different…'

'What?' Rebecca shouted in surprise, 'This is completely different!' Rebecca grunted as if to give up arguing, then cracked a brief smile.

Suddenly a shadow engulfed the two of them as they went under the massive alien ship. The Doctor tried to get a look at it, but he couldn't move around on the Null's shoulder. Soon they were in the ship, the walls green and jagged as if they were moss-covered cliffs. Metal beams connected the steel floor to the equally metallic ceiling. The Doctor looked confused. Finally they reached a room and were put back on their feet, but the Null stayed directly behind them. In front of them was a large machine with an equally large console, surrounded by small TV screens, as if it were a directors editing suite for a major movie. An old man walked in through a door, white hair and connecting beard, and wearing a red and white robe. He sat down in a chair in front of them.

'Well, here you are at last.' the old man said, 'I wondered if you were dead.'

The Doctor looked around and then points to himself, 'Who? Me?' he asked.

'Yes, you, Time Lord.' The old man replied.

'You know my race?' The Doctor asked, surprised, 'How is that possible?'

The old man leaned back in his chair, 'Only the lower races will forget the Time Lords and The Daleks. Time lock or no time lock, my people are well aware of what happened.'

'Your people?' The Doctor replied, 'Who are you?'

'I am Mane, from the planet Altus.'

The Doctor was surprised, 'Altus?' he said, 'I though you never left the planet, for fear of alerting more powerful military races to you existence.'

'Correct.' Mane replied, 'but one thing may have slipped your mind. We were promised the ability of time travel from the Time Lords in exchange for our vast mineral deposits. It seems that once the Time War started, all you did was take more minerals and ignore our plea for time travel technology.'

'Well, we were a bit busy…' The Doctor replied, 'Not that at this moment I want to stick up for the people who governed the planet during the war…'

'Quite.' Mane replied, amused by The Doctor's honesty, 'but still, we were promised something and I was given the task of retrieving it… by any means necessary.'

'Wait a minute.' The Doctor said, getting angry, 'Are you saying you've been attacking this planet, destroying its people, all the while looking for a piece of Time Lord time travel technology? There isn't any here! Why would the Time Lords deal with a small Earth colony?'

Mane rose to his feet with an angry look on his face, 'Do you take me for a fool?' he said, 'We detected a TARDIS machine being ejected from the time lock and tracked that it crashed on the planet's surface. The thing about a TARDIS though, as I'm sure you're aware, is that its dimensionally transcendental and can blend in to whatever scenery in lands on. The fact that you, a living Time Lord, is here means you were that TARDIS's pilot and therefore, can tell us where it is!'

'If he tells you, will you leave us alone?' Rebecca asked, finally gaining the courage to step into the conversation between two higher races.

'What?' Mane wondered, 'Who are you?' Mane looked at the Null who brought her, 'Why did you bring this primitive Human on board?'

'We detected that the Time Lord was near death,' the Null said, slowly with a distinct echo, 'therefore no threat could convince him to help us. He has an emotional attachment to this human, therefore could be persuaded to help with a threat to her life.'

The Doctor was in shock, 'What have you done?' he wondered, 'How did you program the Null to be so calculating?'

'Simple, Time Lord.' Mane replied, 'It was my people who created them.'

The Doctor was once again surprised, 'What?' he wondered, 'How?'

'How?' Mane was amused, 'You mean the Time Lords didn't know? Ha, excellent. I did always wonder why our people didn't get judged by your divine rulers and destroyed, like so many others. Yes, the Null were a pathetic race, they were only barely 100 alive, skulking around a lake on some backwater planet. My people invented a way to wipe their minds clean and then enter information like a computer. No harm was to come from it, though that all changed when one of ours took them in a ship and tried to start a war. Sad case, really…'

'No harm to come from it?' The Doctor said with growing anger, 'How about harm to the innocent race you destroyed?'

'Don't be foolish, Time Lord.' Mane replied, 'They were on the verge of extinction, only roughly 100 males survived, and therefore they were unable to reproduce.' An evil smile came across Mane's face, 'Still, they were better off than you, weren't they?'

The Doctor looked both angry and disgusted, 'Do you think I'm going to surrender my TARDIS to the likes of you?' he shouted.

'Oh you will, Doctor. You will…' Mane said, 'Null, put your arm around the human's neck.'

It carried out the order, 'Not too tight now,' Mane added, 'At least, not yet.'

Rebecca was in a state of panic, The Doctor was rightfully worried, and grabbed his chest in pain once more. The Doctor started to speak, in the middle of some deep breaths.

'Look… Mane…' he struggled to catch his breath, before continuing, 'The time travel technology we use is powered by a source called the Eye of Harmony. It was destroyed along with Gallifrey and my people at the end of the war. What little of our technology exists is useless now.'

The Doctor managed to stand up right and gave Mane a stern look, 'Let her go and I can give you a more rudimentary time travel system, but only under my terms.'

'Terms? Terms?' Mane was furious and insulted, 'You speak to me about terms? If you won't cooperate with me, she dies. If you still don't cooperate, then I'll just find another Time Lord who will.'

'Sorry Mane,' The Doctor said, 'I'm the only one left. The entire race of the Time Lords was burned and locked away. Soon, I'll burn too, and then your chance is lost, and I can guarantee you one thing, if you harm one more innocent person, I'll never say a word.'

Mane sat back down, eyes closed and started to think to himself, then the Null behind the Doctor interrupted, 'He is bluffing, Master.' it said, bluntly, 'If you subjected the human girl to pain, he will emotionally breakdown and tell you.'

Mane opened his eyes, 'Tell me,' he asked 'was he telling the truth about being the last of the Time Lords?'

'Yes, Master.' it replied, 'He was answering truthfully.'

'Very well then.' Mane said, 'You' he looked at the Null who still had Rebecca, 'break… one of her fingers.'

The Null began to reposition Rebecca while The Doctor tried to run to help her, but he was being held back by the other Null.

'NOO!' The Doctor shouted, 'Don't!'

Rebecca screamed as the Null got ready to do as asked.

'Fine! I'll do it!' The Doctor said, knowing he'd been beaten.

'Good.' Mane said, 'You can stop now, Null.'

The Null went back to just grabbing Rebecca, who was nearly unconscious due to shock and panic.

'Now Doctor,' Mane said triumphantly, 'How shall we begin?'


	5. Chapter 5

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART FIVE by David Hogan**

On the out-skirts of a dense forest, the huge ship of Mane's landed slowly, a large gust of air pushed the nearby trees to the point of breaking. Inside the ship, Mane, The Doctor, Rebecca and the two Nulls were still in the control room.

'So, it was around here, was it?' Mane asked, 'Interesting…'

The Doctor walked up to the screens, 'Yes.' He said, 'This was definitely the forest I crashed in. The TARDIS is disguised as a tree, but I don't know which one, so…'

'Don't worry about that, Time Lord.' Replied Mane, 'We'll find it one way or another.'

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at the two Nulls and Rebecca at the back of the room.

'Good.' He thought to himself, 'They didn't hear me. Or at least, they couldn't tell if I was lying from this distance.'

'Now, what about the time travel technology you promised?' Mane asked.

'Ah yes,' The Doctor replied, 'well I can create for you a vortex manipulator, it's a bit crude but given your level of technology it shouldn't be hard to engineer better versions, once you know how it works.'

'Excellent!' Mane responded, 'That way even if we can backwards engineer your TARDIS I still can fulfil my objective.'

'Do you have a lab I can use?' The Doctor asked innocently.

'I wouldn't be a good Altusian without one, would I?'

'Excellent. Just show me the way, I like to work alone, so…'

'I really wish you'd stop insulting my intelligence. I will send the two Nulls and the girl with you, if they detect the slightest hint of deception, they'll start breaking fingers, then toes, then limbs, and then kill her.'

'Oh well, so long as it's in that order then, that's… er… good…'

The Doctor smiled nervously at Rebecca, who wasn't seeing the funny side in the situation. They walked off down a corridor, and Mane took a headset off the side and started speaking

'Nulls,' he said, looking at a screen with the other two Nulls inside, 'Start searching that forest for other-worldly technology.' The Nulls nodded and Mane sat back in his chair, "I knew I should have brought more than four…'

The Doctor was sitting at a table, surrounded by high-level technology, wires, chips, metals bent in shapes never before conceived. Despite the grim situation, The Doctor seemed to be enjoying himself.

'I'm going to miss having a good tinker.' He said, 'I used to bang things together all the time, normally out of things I find in my jacket. I really wish I had my jacket right now… a sonic screwdriver would make fixing this thing up a breeze. Did I tell you about my sonic screwdriver? You see…'

'Stop!' Rebecca shouted, 'I know you're trying to make me feel better, but it doesn't matter what you say, I know how bad the situation is!'

'Ah, dear Rebecca…' The Doctor replied, 'You've got it wrong, I'm not trying to make you relax. You'll see soon enough. Now, on to my screwdriver…'

The Doctor continued his tinkering while talking, 'It's gotten me out of so many scrapes in the past that a few months before the war I made a pledge to myself that I'd never go anywhere without it. In fact, I've started to modify it so it does other things too!'

The Doctor stood up, slowly, 'Now Rebecca… you're going to have to be really brave here.' He said, 'Sadly the Nulls reaction time is better than mine.'

The Doctor spun round and pressed a button on his new device that let out a high-pitched noise. Sadly the Null broke one of Rebecca's fingers before it fell to the floor, unconscious.

'Argh!' Rebecca screamed, 'Did you have to stand up and turn around?' she shouted angrily, 'Could you not have fired it under your arm, or something?'

The Doctor started looking at her finger, as if living up to his name, 'Sorry,' he said, 'I had to point it at their heads, and given how tall they are I had to turn around to see… okay, let's just leave it at sorry. I promise you, no more harm will come to you or the people of this planet.'

Rebecca, still grimacing in pain, said 'What did you do, anyway?'

'Well, you see how their heads are pointed at the top?' The Doctor replied, 'That is a sure sign of heightened senses.'

'It is?' Rebecca replied sarcastically.

'Yes!'

'The fact that one could tell you were lying just by being close to you wasn't a give away?'

'Well, anyway, I just created what is the equivalent to a large dog whistle.' The Doctor continued, ignoring Rebecca's words, 'A dog whistle that was so loud it caused them to go into shock.'

'I see.' Rebecca said, 'Well, actually I don't really. But it sounded good.'

The Doctor and Rebecca exchanged smiles.

'So what do we do now?' Rebecca wondered, 'They weren't the only Nulls on board.'

'You don't have to worry about the Nulls at all.' The Doctor said, 'The frequency went out planet-wide. Now all we have to do is find Mane and put a stop to him.'

'and how do we do that?' Rebecca wondered, 'Do we just kill him?'

'That's a bit much, Rebecca.'

'But he's killed hundreds and thousands of us! He deserves…'

'He deserves to be punished by …. Ah…' The Doctor stopped mid sentence. 'That's a good point.'

'What?'

'Normally I'd let the Time Lords deal with the after effects of something this big…'

The Doctor started to think to himself for a few seconds.

'If I had the TARDIS I could take him to a low-tech planet and leave him there… but I don't…'

'Erm… Doctor…' Rebecca said nervously.

The Doctor turned around and saw Mane pointing a high-tech weapon to Rebecca's head.

'What did you do to The Null?' he demanded.

'I gave them a nice big mental shock.' The Doctor replied, 'Or to put it in a way your sick mind would understand, I caused your computers to need a rebooting.'

In very stereo-typical style, Mane clicked something at the back of the gun, showing that was now ready to fire.

'Tell me why I shouldn't just kill her!' he said with venom.

'Because you know full well if you do that then I won't help you.'

'Help me?' Mane said, 'Help me?' Mane started laughing maniacally.

'I don't see the humour in this situation…' The Doctor said cautiously.

'You disobeyed me, you took out my soldiers. Why would I trust you, Time Lord?'

'Because I'm a good man once you get to know me. I would have helped you, legitimately, but between those poor souls you call soldiers and threatening my friend I kind of lost my sympathy for you.'

Mane tightens his grip on Rebecca.

'However…' The Doctor added in a calming voice, 'I will help you. In fact I finished just such a device at the same time, otherwise the Null would have found me out…'

Mane threw Rebecca to the side and ran up to the table, still in a state of panic and near-insanity.

'Where? WHERE?' Mane started looking through the machines. The Doctor grabbed a device that looked like a chunky wristwatch and gave it to him. Mane put it on and The Doctor pressed a few buttons and stepped back.

'Have fun now, won't you?' he said as he waved.

Mane suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. Rebecca looked surprised.

'Did he really just travel in time?' she said.

'Hmm? Oh yes, absolutely.' He said with a smile, 'It is however a rather crude form of time travel. It took him back in time, but only back in time where he stood, and it's a one way journey.'

'So Mane is on this planet, in the past?'

'Yes!' The Doctor replied with a smile.

'How far?'

'Well, several hundred years before the planet was colonized, so I can't see him having much fun. But, it might be good for him to take a relaxing break in a peaceful environment.'

'Well, that wraps everything up nicely, then. Doesn't it?' Rebecca said with a smile.

'Nearly.' The Doctor replied, 'I'm still not sure what to do with them.' The Doctor looked at the unconscious Null. Suddenly The Doctor grabbed his chest again, sweat started dripping from his forehead as he tried to hold himself together. Rebecca, rightfully scared, told him to stay awake.

'I need you Doctor!' she said, tears starting to form. 'Don't leave me, not yet!'

The Doctor tried to hang on, but falls to the floor, lifeless…


	6. Chapter 6

**HOPE REGENERATED – PART SIX by David Hogan**

'Darkness… blackness… is this what happens when you die?'

The Doctor suddenly opened his eyes to find himself alive, once again in the office of Dr. Keeder.

'You're awake!' Rebecca shouted from The Doctor's bedside. 'I didn't know if you'd ever wake again!' Rebecca hugged The Doctor, as he looked over at Keeder. They exchanged looks of sadness that Rebecca didn't know it wouldn't be long now. The eye of the hurricane, so to speak. A moment of calm between two lengthily periods of pain.

'What happened while I was out?' The Doctor asked.

'Well, I came running out of the ship, ready to go to the nearest town to ask for help, but the townspeople were in the forest already. It seems you really did land near the forest you arrived in…' Rebecca explained.

'Oh, that's surprising…' The Doctor said, 'must have lost my way again. I should carry a compass more often.'

'Or maybe build one into you sonic screwdriver?' Rebecca said with a smile.

'Not a bad idea.' The Doctor replied, but then he suddenly got a nasty thought, 'You said the townspeople were in the forest?'

'That's right.' Rebecca said, 'Stroke of luck, isn't it?'

'That would be the same people who chased us out of town with pitchforks like we were a Mary Shelley creation? The Doctor retorted.

'Yeah…' Rebecca said, 'But it's okay, I told them it was you who saved us! That's why they all carried you back to Dr. Keeder's place. You're a hero now!'

The Doctor didn't look happy about the news, 'I can guess what they were doing in the forest, and in the ship.' The Doctor said, 'They slaughtered the Null, didn't they?'

The Doctor looked over at Dr. Keeder, who closed his eyes and looked ashamed, 'You are correct, Doctor.' He said, reluctantly.

'Great.' He said, 'more innocent lives lost…' The Doctor sighed, 'I'm finding it very hard not to be a bitter old man, right now.'

The Doctor got to his feet, slowly. Rebecca tried to get him to sit down.

'Doctor, you're not well.' She said, 'Rest for a while, please!'

The Doctor smiled, 'Sorry, Rebecca.' He said, 'I can't die here. I can't do that to you. I'll go back to my ship.'

Rebecca looked sad as The Doctor shook Dr. Keeder's hand.

'Thanks for everything.' Keeder said.

'No, thank you.' The Doctor responded, 'and look after Rebecca well.'

The Doctor looked at Rebecca's broken finger, now in a special cast.

'Better than I did, anyway.'

The Doctor turned to Rebecca, who was looking away from him, like a child having a strop.

'Care to escort me out of town, my lady?' The Doctor said.

Rebecca slowly gave in to the smiling Doctor and the two walked out of the office. Keeder couldn't help but smile.

As The Doctor and Rebecca walked through the town, many of the townsfolk were packing bags and loading up cars, ready to move back into the cities they once knew. Most people gave The Doctor a round of applause or words of thanks, until eventually they arrived at the edge of town.

'So… this is goodbye then.' Rebecca said, full of gloom.

'I'm afraid so. Let me say… Hope?' Rebecca looked confused at The Doctor's broken sentence.

'I beg your pardon?' Rebecca said.

'The sign!' The Doctor said, looking over at the sign above the entrance to town that was previously unreadable to him, 'It says Hope! Hope, Rebecca! Don't you see?' The Doctor was now getting excited, like a child on Christmas.

'You can read that?' Rebecca said, 'That's some old symbols from a civilization that was on this planet previously. It's like the planet's flag now…'

'But I can read it!' The Doctor said, 'Oh, look, never mind.' The Doctor kissed Rebecca on the cheek, 'This is goodbye. Live a great life, Rebecca!' The Doctor started running into the forest. Rebecca touched the kissed cheek with a confused look on her face.

'Oh well.' She said to herself, a big smile slowly forming.

The Doctor was running in the forest, 'Could it be? Could it possibly be?' he thought to himself. He arrived at the TARDIS, which was now a rich, full shade of blue again.

'Oh, you look fabulous.' The Doctor muttered. He opened the door and walked in to see a completely new interior. The TARDIS console raised on a steel platform, the room covered with gold corals and other designs.

'Look at you…' he said, 'but… how?' The Doctor closed the doors behind him and looked at a readout from a monitor on the console.

'Time rift energy? You used time rift energy to recharge yourself?' The Doctor was shocked, 'You can do that? Live without the Eye of Harmony? Oh you clever thing!' Suddenly he stumbled backwards, holding his chest, knowing this is the final time.

'I'd love to travel with you again. But it looks like… I … can't…'

The Doctor dropped to his knees. Suddenly a gold light started to leak out from the TARDIS console. Almost like gas it moved across the room, The Doctor breathed it in. He looked at his hands, as they started to glow.

'What is this?' he wondered, 'Is this… regeneration?'

The Doctor rose to his feet, 'You want me to live, old girl?' he said, looking at the TARDIS console, 'Very well!' he shouted, 'Did you hear that, universe? I AM THE DOCTOR, AND I WILL LIVE!'

The Doctor threw back his head and golden energy burned out from around him, covering his hands and head. The Doctor screamed as the flames grew brighter and more fierce, then just as suddenly it stopped. The Doctor is a new man. Shorter hair, bigger ears… a new body. Against all the odds, The Doctor was alive and well again. He cracked a big grin and walks up to the console, 'Thank you.' He said, 'I can always depend on you, can't I?'

Rebecca was slowly walking back to town. Suddenly The Doctor, now wearing new clothes, ran up to Rebecca.

'Who are you?' she said.

The Doctor looked one more time at her injured hand, 'Are you Rebecca?' he said.

'That's right.' She replied.

'A bloke with tattered clothes told me to give you this.'

With that The Doctor gave her a pocket watch, one his previous self was known to carry around.

'The Doctor wanted me to have it?' she wondered.

'He said that he wanted you to remember him, but he couldn't part with his sonic screwdriver.' The Doctor smiled and then walked away.

'Th… thanks.' She said. She looked at him walking away, and wondered for a moment.

'Nah.' She said, gripping the watch to her chest, 'couldn't be.' She walked away.

The Doctor arrives back in the TARDIS. 'Don't look at me like that.' He said, talking to the TARDIS console, 'The last thing I want is another innocent girl to look after.' The Doctor seemed to be convincing himself rather than anything else.

'Now, there are plenty of planets in plenty of time periods that were effected by the war.' The Doctor said, flicking switches while walking around the console, 'How about we start with… Earth!' The Doctor smiled as he hit the final switch that causes the TARDIS to make the sound he never thought he'd hear again. As the central column moved up and down and the ship dematerialized, the Doctor, still grinning, simply said "Fantastic!'

THE END.


End file.
